Honorary Commander CoC strengthens base ties with community

  • Published
  • By Airman Dennis Spain
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Hurlburt Field welcomed its newest honorary commanders with a change of command ceremony, a CV-22 Osprey demonstration and a banquet here Sept. 30.

Hurlburt’s Honorary Commander Program is a year-long program, which began in 2004 and continues to sustain mutually-beneficial relationships between the local community and base.

An honorary commander is a civilian who is a key community leader that is selected to partner with a senior military leader to foster a supportive relationship with the community. The experience also allows the honorary commanders to strengthen their knowledge and understanding about the Air Force and the installation and spread that information to the local community.

“Over the past 12 years, the Honorary Commander Program has become quite an effective tool for fostering relationships with our local community leaders,” said Col. Tom Palenske, commander of the 1st SOW. “I know we’ll both gain a great deal by having [the newest group of honorary commanders] as a part of our team.”

The honorary commanders will tour each of the four groups within the 1st Special Operations Wing, as well as the 24th Special Operations Wing, 505th Command and Control Wing and Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center to give them a 360-degree view of the Hurlburt Field mission.

After Palenske explained the role of an honorary commander, the group observed a CV-22 demonstration at the Soundside. During the demonstration, Special Tactics Airmen were recovered from the midst of the Sound while the aircraft hovered over the waters.

Once the demonstration was completed, each outgoing honorary commander received a farewell gift as they took their beginning steps into alumni status. Hurlburt leaders invite these alumni back to base twice a year to maintain their connection to the mission and to give them updates on the base’s status.

"The Honorary Commander program gave us the opportunity to go behind the fence and meet the men and women of the AFSOC community,” said Jerry Williams, an outgoing honorary commander and President and CEO of Eglin Federal Credit Union. “We learned about their missions, their training and their challenges. We observed their dedication, their passion and their sacrifices. The knowledge we gained and the relationships we made will allow us to be better ambassadors to our own communities. Supporting the military just got more personal."

After the outgoing honorary commanders received their farewell gifts, the new honorary commanders were introduced and given a unit coin by their respective commander. The coins signified the beginning of their year-long journey as an honorary commander.

“I would love to learn more about Hurlburt Field and what we can do to promote military community awareness,” said Pam Ridlehoover, an incoming honorary commander and Fort Walton Beach Area Campus Director at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “Military members and their families hold a special place in my heart and I would love to give back like others did for me when [my husband was] active duty.”

The 2016-2017 Team Hurlburt Honorary commanders are:

Kay Goodwin, Deputy Okaloosa County Administrator (1st Special Operations Wing)
Tarey Franxman, Human Resources Director, City of Fort Walton Beach (1st Special Operations Mission Support Group)
Eric Sandwith, Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, FWB Medical Center (1st Special Operations Medical Group)
Marian McBryde, General Manager, Okaloosa Title and Abstract (1st Special Operations Group)
Tracy Wood, Property Manager, ERA American Real Estate (1st Special Operations Maintenance Group)
Jan Pooley, Community Volunteer, Tastefully Simple Independent Consultant (1st Special Operations Wing Command Chief)
Pam Ridlehoover, Fort Walton Beach Area Campus Director, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (505th Training Group)
Daniel Gusoff, Owner/General Manager, Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson (24th Special Operations Wing)
Pam Weeks, Realtor, Keller Williams Emerald Coast (Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center Command Chief)
Pamela Martin, Senior Marketing Representative, Gulf Power Company (505th Command and Control Wing)
John McGee, Chairman/CEO, First City Bank (Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center)